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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for transformative discoveries that clarify how the body's defense network attacks harmful pathogens while sparing the body's own cells.

A trio of esteemed scientists—Japan's Prof. Sakaguchi and US scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—received this accolade.

Their research identified specialized "security guards" within the immune system that remove rogue defense cells that could harming the organism.

The discoveries are now enabling innovative treatments for immune disorders and malignancies.

The winners will divide a prize fund valued at 11 million Swedish kronor.

Decisive Discoveries

"The research has been essential for comprehending how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious self-attack conditions," stated the chair of the award panel.

This team's studies explain a core question: In what way does the immune system defend us from countless infections while leaving our own tissues intact?

The body's protection system employs immune cells that search for signs of disease, even viruses and bacteria it has never encountered.

These cells utilize detectors—called recognition units—that are produced by chance in countless combinations.

That provides the immune system the capacity to fight a broad range of invaders, but the randomness of the mechanism unavoidably creates immune cells that can target the host.

Security Guards of the Body

Scientists previously knew that some of these harmful defense cells were eliminated in the immune organ—where white blood cells develop.

The latest award honors the discovery of T-reg cells—known as the body's "security guards"—which travel through the system to disarm other defenders that attack the healthy cells.

It is known that this process malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and RA.

A prize committee added, "These findings have laid the foundation for a novel area of investigation and accelerated the creation of innovative therapies, for example for cancer and immune disorders."

Regarding malignancies, regulatory T-cells prevent the body from attacking the tumor, so research are aimed at reducing their quantity.

In autoimmune diseases, experiments are exploring boosting regulatory T-cells so the body is no longer being harmed. A similar approach could also be useful in minimizing the chances of organ transplant rejection.

Innovative Experiments

Prof Sakaguchi, from a Japanese institution, performed tests on mice that had their immune gland extracted, causing self-attack conditions.

The researcher showed that introducing defense cells from healthy mice could prevent the illness—suggesting there was a system for blocking immune cells from attacking the body.

Dr. Brunkow, from the Institute for Systems Biology in a US city, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in a California city, were investigating an genetic immune disorder in mice and people that led to the identification of a genetic factor critical for how regulatory T-cells operate.

"Their pioneering research has revealed how the immune system is kept in check by T-reg cells, stopping it from mistakenly attacking the healthy cells," commented a leading physiology specialist.

"This research is a remarkable illustration of how fundamental biological study can have broad implications for human health."